Sunday, May 31, 2009

Nature Study at the Beach

We discovered that a net at the beach brings up all sorts of captivating critters.

Mole crab.

Tiny fish.

Coquinas.

Tiny fish eating coquina.

When the tide went out, we found the sand crawling with hermit crabs.

Larkin collected several in a bucket.

He loves hermit crabs.

He talked to them and told them how well he would care for them and that they would be buddies. But since they couldn't last long in a bucket, he had to be satisfied with a few days of playing with them and drawing them.

Miah drew a fantastical beach scene. Her imagination always takes over when she draws in her nature journal.

More ocean treasures.

Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them! Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice. . . Let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare His praise in the coastlands. Isaiah 42:10-12

Your children look so very happy, and to express themselves so well with art by drawing what they love, it's wonderful. I love hermit crabs too, and I have some here at home. I don't know your family's beliefs about keeping these kinds of animals as pets, but please know that they are not easy to care for, and you will not get good information from pet stores if you ever decide to get some for your son as pets. If you consider it, please research on the net first, don't go by what pet stores tell you. I and other "crabbers" have found pet stores to be woefully misinformed as to proper care and feeding, and many crabs die as a result. It's wonderful to see your children able to appreciate them in their natural habitat. Just beautiful. :)Here are some good hermit crab sites, just in case you may need them some day:http://www.hermit-crabs.comhttp://www.crabstreetjournal.comhttp://www.hermitcrabparadise.comhttp://www.thecrabbagepatch.com

Joanna, Thanks for the links. We have 3 hermit crabs that we bought Larkin for his birthday 6 months ago. That first website is where we found out how to care for them. It's a good one. I'll check the others out too.

It looks like you had a wonderful time at the beach. I know mom and dad have said they truly enjoyed the vacation. Your pictures are always a treat to view. You have a good eye and certainly terrific subjects!!!